Six jobs that keep the whole instrument in TRUE

Hand-Cut Bridges and Soundposts

A bridge blank arrives as a small block of graded maple with a pencilled outline and no voice of its own. We begin by fitting the feet to the arch of the top using carbon paper, paring until the contact is full and even rather than merely close. The blank is then cut back to a curve that matches the fingerboard radius, with the heart, the kidneys and the ankles thinned according to the stiffness of the plate beneath it. A flexible top asks for a slightly heavier bridge; a stiff top tolerates a lighter one. This is where experience matters more than a formula.

The soundpost is cut after the bridge is standing, because the two parts work as a pair. We measure the distance between the top and back plates, cut the post a whisper long, and fit the ends to the inner arches with a setter so the post stands in compression without forcing the plates apart. Small movements of the post change the balance between the bass and treble sides, and we move it in fractions of a millimetre while the player listens. Bridges and posts are usually replaced together, but we will replace only what is worn when the other part is sound.

Expect a clear improvement in response across all four strings, a steadier bowing point and fewer wolf notes in the upper register. Most bridge work is finished within a few days, and instruments that need a new post often stay on the bench for a week so the fit can settle under string tension.

Fingerboard Dressing and Planing

Ebony is hard, but it is not immutable. Years of stopped notes wear shallow hollows under each string, and those hollows raise the action in some positions and lower it in others. The player feels it as a board that fights the hand in third position or a string that buzzes only in half position. We remove the strings, check the board for twist against a straightedge, and plane the surface until the scoop is correct and even along its length.

After planing, the radius is dressed with a curved block and the surface is polished until the hand slides without friction. The nut is recut so the string sits at the proper depth in each slot, and the end of the board is checked for a clean fall away toward the bridge. If the board is too thin to plane again, we discuss replacement honestly rather than squeezing one more pass out of tired wood.

A dressed board changes intonation before it changes comfort, which is why we ask players to bring the instrument back for a short check after a week of playing. In most cases the board work is complete in two to four days, and the improvement in first position is immediate.

Peg Fitting and Neck Resets

Pegs that slip in dry weather and seize in humid weather are usually a sign of mismatched tapers, oval holes or a pegbox that has dried out of shape. We ream the holes to a clean taper, bush the oversized ones with matching maple and turn new pegs to fit each hole individually. The result is a peg that turns with two fingers and holds without force, which protects both the player and the pegbox.

Neck angle is a separate question. Over decades the neck of a cello or bass can creep forward under string tension, raising the action and robbing the instrument of projection. A neck reset is major surgery: the neck is removed, the joint is cleaned and refitted, and the angle is set so the bridge height and the string length work together. We plan resets around the original arch and the owner budget, and we never promise a reset will make an old instrument sound new.

Peg work is often same week. Neck resets are scheduled in advance and include a settling period before final setup, so owners should plan for a longer absence from the case.

Bow Rehairs and Recambering

A bow is half the instrument, and it is often the half that gets neglected. We rehair violin, viola, cello and bass bows with clean, ethically sourced hair, choosing the hank density for the player and the repertoire. The hair is spread evenly from the frog to the head, the plug is fitted without gaps, and the mortise is checked for wear before the plug is closed.

Recambering addresses a stick that has lost its curve or developed a weak spot. We warm the stick gradually, correct the camber along its length and let it cool under restraint so the weight stays where the player expects it. Frogs are checked for loose eyes and cracked heels, windings are replaced when they have gone loose, and the head is inspected for hairline cracks that could fail under tension.

A rehair usually takes three to five days because the hair needs to settle before final tension is set. Players often notice a wider palette of tone colours and a more predictable off-string stroke when the bow comes back to the case.

Varnish Touch-Up and Restoration

Old varnish records the history of an instrument: the wear at the chin, the darkened edges of the c bouts, the cloudy patch where a case strap rubbed for years. Our first task is to read that record rather than erase it. We photograph the wear, identify the original ground where possible, and blend spirit and oil touch-ins only where the finish is thin enough to need protection.

Structural restoration is separated from cosmetic work by design. Open seams are glued and clamped, cracks are studied under raking light and repaired from the inside where the access allows, and missing edge work is replaced with matching wood. Every step is documented, and we stop to consult the owner when the repair would change the character of the instrument in a way that cannot be undone.

Touch-up is usually complete within a week; full restoration is quoted per project and can run to several months for an instrument with multiple old repairs. We are conservative by temperament, and we will decline a cosmetic job that risks more than it protects.

Player Setups and Tonal Adjustment

A setup is the part of the work that belongs to the player as much as to the instrument. We measure string heights at the nut and at the end of the board, check the bridge curve against the hand, and adjust the post and the bridge fit while the player plays the same passage again and again. Fractions of a millimetre matter, and so does the way a player draws the bow.

Chamber players often ask for a warm, blended sound with comfortable action; soloists ask for more projection and a slightly higher bridge; students need an instrument that will not fight them through an exam. We do not have one setup that suits everyone, and we say so. Every adjustment is noted in the instrument file so a future visit begins from a known place rather than from memory.

Most setups are completed in a single appointment or across two visits a week apart. Bring the shoulder rest, the chin rest and the bow you actually use, because a setup tuned to borrowed equipment is not a setup at all.